The business of cremation and placing the cremated remains in an urn is expanding, as it is an inexpensive alternative to typical funeral costs. While there are several cremation urn designs in the funeral industry, consumers are demanding more urns which can be quickly modified to create a uniquely designed cremation urn that commemorates and memorializes their deceased loved one. In this regard, the cremation urn industry has seen a tremendous increase in market presence due to the popularity of a wider variety of choices amongst cremation urns.
Several of these cremation urn designs have resulted in a patent. Thus, for example, U.S. Design Pat. No. 350,010 to May et al. discloses a decorative ornamental four-sided, wooden cremation urn having a pair of columns on each side façade. U.S. Design Pat. No. 359,831 to Parker discloses a ornamental four-sided wooden cremation urn where one façade includes a decorative etched carving. U.S. Design Pat. 421,672 to Thesken discloses an ornamental device for scattering cremation remains. U.S. Design Pat. No. 432,285 to Baldwin et al. discloses an ornamental four-sided, wooden cremation urn having a generally square or box-like appearance having four bumper corners joining each side façade. In contrast, U.S. Design Pat. No. 433,209, also to Baldwin et al. discloses the same ornamental four-sided, wooden cremation urn having a generally square or box-like appearance, but does not claim the four bumper corners joining each side façade found in the previous patent.
Continuing, U.S. Design Pat. No. D438,362 S discloses a four-sided urn having a top surface that slants from back to front. U.S. Design Pat. No. D438,687 S to Robinson discloses an ornamental, wooden cremation urn having a generally rectangular appearance, and includes an ornamental dog picture upon the top surface. U.S. Design Pat. No. D442,347 S to Parker discloses an ornamental cremation urn featuring gardening artwork upon a top surface. U.S. Design Pat. No. D444,288 S to Parker discloses an ornamental square cremation urn featuring decorative columns and bumpers which are surrounded or otherwise encircled by an elongated string, yarn or rope structure. U.S. Design Pat. No. D494,727 S to Poteet discloses a cremation urn featuring a longer height middle portion when compared to either its top portion or its bottom portion, and which is devoid of any artwork. U.S. Design Pat. No. D543,005 S to Pertz discloses a heart-shaped cremation urn, with the heart shape forming all of the top, middle and bottom portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,831 B1 to Greiwe et al. discloses a cremation urn having a retractable plaque at its base, along with a lid having a transparent top. The top of the urn contains a recess where memorabilia may, be placed, and viewed when the lid is closed. This patent fails to appreciate the use of the other surfaces of the urn as display areas for commemorative purposes or placing of memorabilia.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0174461 A1 to Roberts discloses a cremation urn having replaceable panels, where each panel is engraved with a design by laser engraving. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0033777 A1 to Blessing discloses a solid surface luminous urn, while U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0030804 A1 discloses a method for ordering a customized cremation urn over a computer network.
While increasing demand exists for newer, more modern cremation urns, there is a strong need for a novel cremation urn which is capable of ease of manufacture, ease of storage, and an urn which may be easily modified or otherwise customized in order to memorialize the loved one in a graceful and ornamental manner.